Pull-Apart Tomato Bread with Feta, Garlic and Herb Filling

Our Brunei Armed Forces turns 50 years old today. It is older than our independent country, which is only 27. Yes, we are a young country... I was born when we were not yet completely autonomous and free. To celebrate the military's Golden Anniversary as well as honor the selfless men and women who have served to protect and maintain peace for this country, I'm going to bake something special today.

Pull-apart bread...I've been seeing a lot of them around lately - being written about, baked and I presume, eaten. What's going on? Is there a secret that bakers are revelling in which I'm totally clueless about? Those breads that I've seen via my computer screen sure do look good. My blogger friends, Nancy (Spicie Foodie), Gina (SPCookieQueen) and Lora (Cake Duchess) have all recently made their own versions of pull-apart bread. And then there were also several others' take on it that I dare to imagine this style of bread becoming the newest rage in baking. Step aside, macaron. Go on..scoot over, cake-pop. Your time is up. Pull-apart bread's here and it's going to rip our world! Pun intended, of course.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and set out to discover the joys of what is essentially bread slices that are stuck together while they are being baked, only to be ripped apart slice by slice while they are being eaten. There's something quite primordial about this whole process, and the ripping apart ritual somehow appeals to my young-ish soul.

Nigella seeds

Okay, I'm going to warn you.... this post has almost as many pictures as there are words. Maybe I'm sold on that old adage, 'A picture paints a thousand words', or maybe I'm just not really in a writing mood today. Luckily, I'm in a (camera) trigger-happy mood.

Bread filling: Purple basil, oregano, thyme, garlic and Feta cheese

So let me just say these few things about my pull-apart bread:

• I couldn't sleep last night thinking about this bread.
• It's tomato-flavored and has spiral-patterns inside.
• The plain dough contains Nigella seeds that taste a bit like spring onions.
• It has a salty, cheesy (Feta), garlicky and herb-y filling.
• It is baked in a round, flower-shaped silicon-mold that makes the bread look pretty even when it's turned upside-down.
• It is utterly delicious and a joy to rip apart.
• Now I know why everyone's gone gaga over pull-apart bread. This goes off to Yeastspotting so more people can enjoy it!

Okay, 'nuff said already. Enjoy the step-by-step:

Wrap the plain dough in the tomato dough, turn over and flatten with a rolling pin

Roll the flattened rectangle into a cylinder, slice into 12 pieces, flatten into discs and fill with garlic+cheese+herbs

Fold disc over the filling and press edges with a fork to seal (I used a lemon zester). Arrange dough slices in a fan pattern inside a deep, round baking pan.

Spiral patterns on dough slices

Brush tops with eggwash and bake until golden.

Even the bottom of the bread looks pretty

 Don't skimp on the filling! It has to be this luscious...

Rip away and feel the joy

PS. A sweet version of this bread will be making an appearance soon. I guess that's just the way I live my life ;-).

Pull-Apart Tomato Bread with Feta, Garlic and Herb Filling

Ingredients:
Plain Dough
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Nigella seeds
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon extra flour, for kneading

Tomato Dough
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce/puree
1-2 tablespoons extra flour, for kneading

Filling
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Eggwash
1 small egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk

Method:

1. For both the tomato and plain doughs, stir in the sugar and yeast into the lukewarm water (separately) and leave to foam for about 5-10 minutes.

2. Make the plain dough first. Mix the flour, salt and Nigella seeds in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the foamy yeast solution and milk. Knead for about 10 minutes until dough becomes pliable and is non-sticky. Add the extra flour as necessary to achieve this texture. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly-oiled bowl, leave to proof in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.

3. For the tomato dough, mix the flour and salt, make a well in the centre and add the foamy yeast solution and tomato sauce. Knead for about 10 minutes until dough becomes pliable and non-sticky. Add the extra flour as necessary. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly-oiled bowl, leave to proof in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. 10 minutes before baking time, preheat your oven to 200C/350F.

(Note: My friend Gina pointed me to this proofing tip, ie. microwave 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, then leave the dough bowls in the microwave with the cups. The steam and warm environment in there will expedite the proofing process. It actually works!)

4. Roll out the tomato dough into a rough rectangle about 10x8-in. Wrap the plain dough ball inside the tomato dough. Turn over, so the sealed side is at the bottom. Flatten out the dough again with a rolling pin and roll carefully out into a 12x10-in rectangle. Take the long-side and roll into a cylinder. Slice the cylinder into 12 even pieces. The ends will tend to be smaller but you can use these to fill in the gaps later.

5. Take a piece of cut dough and with the cut-side down, roll out into a disc. Take a spoonful of filling, place on one half of the disc and fold the other dough half over it. Press lightly to seal, then take a fork and press down along the edges firmly. Repeat with the other dough pieces.

6. Arrange filled slices in a well-buttered baking pan, in a fan pattern of lined upright against one another. Leave to rise again for another 20 minutes.

7. Mix the egg and milk and brush tops with the eggwash. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes before turning out and serving.